Legal question

[TrippSixx]

I have recently begun lock picking. I purchased a cheap set from Amazon. Now my question is, I like to keep a few locks in my glove box of my car and take my picks with me so while riding on long rides I use this time to work on some locks. Now my question is. I am in N.C. and if pulled over by an officer and he or she were to see my picks would there or could there be any problems by having "burglary" tools in my possession? Can I really just tell them that it's a hobby and in no way I am using them in any illegal way? Or should I just leave them at home? Like I said I am fairly new to the hobby and really enjoy it. I just don't want to do anything illegal. Thank you for any response. Have a great day!

[Squelchtone]

I have recently begun lock picking. I purchased a cheap set from Amazon. Now my question is, I like to keep a few locks in my glove box of my car and take my picks with me so while riding on long rides I use this time to work on some locks. Now my question is. I am in N.C. and if pulled over by an officer and he or she were to see my picks would there or could there be any problems by having "burglary" tools in my possession? Can I really just tell them that it's a hobby and in no way I am using them in any illegal way? Or should I just leave them at home? Like I said I am fairly new to the hobby and really enjoy it. I just don't want to do anything illegal. Thank you for any response. Have a great day!

So you pick while driving on these long rides or is someone else doing the driving? I would not recommend keeping picks in your glove box, leave them at home.

[TrippSixx]

I would never try to pick while driving. I should have elaborated. I pick to pass time while being a passenger.

[Squelchtone]

I would never try to pick while driving. I should have elaborated. I pick to pass time while being a passenger.

full disclosure: I've picked while being the driver and sitting at a red light. Had just bought a lock at Home Depot and couldn't wait to get home. picked it at that light, and was bummed out because I just bought it, so it felt like a waste of money since it didn't offer more of a challenge.

If you are 16-21 then keep the picks in a back pack along with some practice locks, to a cop a lock pick set in a glove box might as well be a gun or a crowbar. More than likely not at all illegal, but just asking for trouble in my opinion. If you are a grown up then probably less chance they'd pull you over, but it all depends on what hours you keep. I like to take the occasional ride at 2am, when nobody is out other than bar drunkies, so if I get pulled over at that hour, I'm honestly not surprised, but they're pretty much fishing at that point, which is bull*hit. When I go for those rides, I don't bring pick sets with me.

Squelchtone

[TrippSixx]

I only travel during the day. When its a long trip. Over an hour or more. And I am 41. But don't want to find out the hard way if I can get into trouble or not so I think I will leave the picks and locks at home and just read up on picking and making picks and things of that nature while I ride. Thanks for your time and response. Have a great evening!

[LocksportSouth]

I know you're not in the UK, but for any Brits wondering the same question, don't forget that here in the UK being caught outside your home with picks can count as "going equipped", which basically means "going [potentially to a victim's house] equipped [with tools for breaking and entering]". I Am Not A Lawyer so I won't try and claim that you'll get XYZ sentence, but I'd imagine the sentence would be similar to attempted burglary or something of that nature.

Now, a LOT of things can count as "going equipped". We have a lot of deliberately vague laws here, so getting caught with anything from a crowbar to a screwdriver to a pick set or probably even a coat hanger could count as going equipped. Bear in mind that it's down to the discretion of the police officer whether to arrest you, and whether he has probable cause. Generally this means that if you're stopped in broad daylight and have a pick set and some practice locks or a locksmithing book and tell the copper that you're going to a friend's house to practice picking together for fun, they'll probably let you off. If you're caught in the dead of night near someone's front door or crouching over a motorbike chain with picks, you're SoL .

Bear in mind though that not all police officers know about lock picking as a hobby and most will probably take a dim view, in line with most of the public when you tell them that you pick locks for fun. Except that the public can't arrest you for doing so. Technically we have no official licensing body for locksmiths here (the closest thing being the MLA - the Master Locksmiths Association) so I've even heard of bona fide locksmiths informing the police before they head to every job as the police could end up arresting the locksmith for carrying picks otherwise. I don't know how true the stories are, but the point is - watch out in the UK. If you're not friends with the local bobby who knows what you do, leave your picks at home just to be safe. Hobby lock-picking is not a defence here against charges of going equipped.

E&OE, IANAL.

[billdeserthills]

Perhaps the purchase of The Locksport Challenge Coin could be all the proof you need,
to demonstrate to a cop that you are interested in picking and that such an organization
does actually exist, might be a Official LOCKPICKING 101 Vintage T-Shirt could help convince that officer as well,
that at least you aren't just making up this hobby

[LocksportSouth]

It *could* help. If the officer is a reasonable and friendly sort, you might get to talk about your hobby and leave on good terms knowing that one more person-in-power is aware of the hobby. On the other hand, the cop might think you're trying too hard, or just being a pompus prat and nick you anyway. I own both of these (Challenge coin and T-shirt) but I'd be wary of wearing them around the police - it's like blasting a siren saying I PICK LOCKS - which, while it might help show that you're part of a community, it might put other people on edge or lead them to think you're being intentionally aggravating.

It's always a fine line to tread, and in places like here in the UK and I believe some states where it's not *illegal* to have picks, but you can be arrested for carrying suspicious tools or whatever if the cop decides to take a dislike to you and/or your motives, it's always better safe than sorry. Personally I don't have a need to carry picks with me, so I don't. Anyway, if someone in public asked me to pick a lock I wouldn't want to for fear that I might be unwittingly assisting in crime. If you need to carry picks in public you have two choices - be brazen about it and hope that people understand where you're coming from, or hide them away and hope you don't get searched. The better you hide them though, the more trouble you'll probably be in if you get caught.

It's a shame these things aren't better defined in law, and/or that there's not more of a publicly visible lockpicking community (perhaps championed by a couple of mainstream Hollywood stars, ala D&D) to lend more credence to our hobby. Until that time, it's prudent to be careful. Obviously this varies country-to-country, state-to-state so it always pays to be acutely aware of the specific laws for your locale .

[Devhad]

Generally the possession of these tools alone is neither an issue or a crime. In most jurisdictions their possession would be an enhancement if you were actually burglarizing a place. Now obviously if you have a criminal record or are a complete @hole to the cop or if your back seat is full of unopened DVD players it may look a little suspicious. A good question to ask yourself is how many times has a police officer looked through your car?

[GWiens2001]

And don't keep them rolled up inside your black ski mask.

Gordon